LDA News

The members of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) call upon you to issue a bipartisan statement and take whatever action possible to address domestic terrorism as perpetrated by neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and other groups espousing hate and fear. The language and actions of those groups in Charlottesville do not represent American values and serve to marginalize and terrorize a vast number of people in our wonderful country. Read More…

House Committee Votes Deep Education Cuts Without the advantage of knowing first the total amount they have to spend for the next fiscal year, the House Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations Subcommittee went ahead to develop a bill for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 2018) $5 billion below the current budget cap. Within a week after the subcommittee vote, the full House Appropriations Committee approved basically the same bill, which cuts U.S. Department of Education programs by $4.2 billion (6.2%) below the current funding level. This House committee action is just one step in the process of determining final spending levels… Read More »

ATLANTA, GA and PITTSBURGH, PA – The Learning Disabilities Association of America (“LDA”), which offers support for parents, educators, adults with LD and professionals at the national level as well as through a network of state affiliates, is making every shopping transaction count through a new partnership with Kula Causes, Inc. (“kula”) LDA supporters can earn donations for the Learning Disabilities Association of America when they shop their favorite retailers and brands in the kula SED (Shop, Earn, Donate) ecosystem. Members simply shop through kula’s network of multi-channel retail partners and earn a percent back on each transaction which is then… Read More »

Toxic chemicals called “phthalates” can harm babies’ brain development and were found in macaroni and cheese powder and in other cheese products! In fact, phthalates were found in eight of nine individual Kraft cheese products tested, and in other companies’ products too. Kraft is by far the largest producer of mac ‘n cheese. LDA is part of a coalition asking Kraft to switch to safer processing and packaging to get these toxic chemicals out of their products and protect our children’s health. Parents and schools should never have to wonder if there are toxic chemicals in the mac ‘n cheese!… Read More »

Lead poisoning affects children in communities throughout the country; even low levels of lead can harm brain development, and result in learning disabilities and attention problems. The good news is lead poisoning is entirely preventable; we can solve this problem and protect children from lead poisoning once and for all. Last month, LDA convened a group of scientists and health experts to take those messages to Congress. The group met with U.S. House and Senate offices to share a national strategy for eliminating lead poisoning in children. The experts published their recommendations for eliminating lead exposures in a May 15… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Maureen Swanson, Healthy Children Project Director, Project TENDR Co-Director, Learning Disabilities Association of America Chlorpyrifos is linked to long-term damage in children’s developing brains Pittsburgh, PA (June 6, 2017) –Today, a dozen health and labor organizations represented by Earthjustice filed an administrative appeal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, urging the federal government to ban chlorpyrifos, a widely used agricultural pesticide that has been linked to reduced IQ, loss of working memory and attention deficit disorder in children. It is up to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to decide the appeal. This direct appeal to the EPA appeal was filed… Read More »

Retailers selling directly to early care and education programs, including child care programs and Head Start, need to do more to screen out harmful chemicals, a new report to be released Monday finds. The report released today by the Getting Ready for Baby coalition, “Selling Safer Products for Early Care and Education,” is the first assessment of these niche retailers who target directly to early care and education programs, including child care and preschools. It assessed policies on chemicals in products they sell, and how transparent retailers were, and found: While nearly all (22 of 24) retailers use certifications to identify chemically-safer… Read More »

Removing Roadblocks and Creating Pathways: Supporting Children with LD/ADHD in the Classroom and at Home LDA is proud to present two regional workshops with appropriate tracks for both Parents and Professionals this fall in Dallas, Texas and Nashua, New Hampshire! Who should attend? General Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, School Administrators, Parents, Caregivers and Anyone who wants to learn more about helping children with learning disabilities. For Professionals: Removing Roadblocks – Understanding and Supporting Students with LD/ADHD in the Mainstream Classroom. Featured Speakers: Allen Broyles, LDA Board of Directors, Assistant Head of School, The Children’s School, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Scott… Read More »

I have recently been on a campaign to get attention to the problems with current school choice policies and proposals for expansion of privatization of schools. It started out as a simple op-ed in The Palm Beach Post. This led to conversations with reporters from The New York Times and National Public Radio (NPR). I also found a general inquiry for someone to talk to EdWeek about the subject. Although I wasn’t directly quoted in the articles included here, I was able to give them extensive information, including legal background on the issues surrounding school choice policies and current proposals for expansion… Read More »

by Pat Latham, Past LDA President As a Past President of LDA, I have had the opportunity to be involved over the years and would like to briefly reflect on the state of LDA in 2017. LDA’s Mission Statement is as follows: “LDA’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations.” I believe LDA has been effective in carrying out its mission and, over the years, has worked hard to increase its effectiveness. Overall, LDA is well positioned in 2017 to continue moving forward successfully in… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Maureen Swanson, Director Healthy Children Project, mswanson@ldaamerica.org, 724.813.9684, Project TENDR website: http://projecttendr.com/ Learning Disabilities Association of America says EPA Decision not to Ban Dangerous Pesticide Ignores Established Science and Puts Children at Greater Risk for Learning, Attention, and Behavior Disorders Pittsburgh, PA (March 30, 2017) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to allow the dangerous pesticide chlorpyrifos to continue to be used on farm fields and crops puts children and future generations at greater risk of learning and developmental disabilities, attention and behavior disorders, according to the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA). In 2016, a group of nearly… Read More »

President’s Funding Proposals Would Seriously Harm LDA Priorities On March 16, the White House released the president’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018 (School Year 2018-19), which will begin on October 1, 2017. That budget contains draconian cuts to LDA priority programs, including education, job training, physical and mental health, environmental protection, and juvenile justice. Overall the budget would cut discretionary spending, except for defense, by $54 billion, while increasing defense, homeland security, and veterans’ affairs by an almost equivalent amount. Among the agencies hardest hit are the Departments of Labor and Education and the Environmental Protection Agency. As an… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 Manju Banerjee to Serve on Professional Advisory Board of LDA Pittsburgh, PA (March 28, 2017) – Manju Banerjee, Ph.D., of Putney VT, was elected to a three-year term on the Professional Advisory Board of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA). Dr. Banerjee is Vice President of Educational Research and Innovation at Landmark College in Putney, VT. A certified diagnostician and teacher-consultant on learning disabilities, Banerjee has over 30 years of experience in the field of learning disabilities, ADHD, and postsecondary disability services. Dr. Banerjee received her doctoral degree from the… Read More »

LDA joined with the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and 42 other national organizations to file an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in the Supreme Court case Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. This case was the first reexamination of the “free appropriate public education” standard by the Supreme Court since the Rowley decision in 1982. Under the earlier case, the Court held that a child received a FAPE when the services provided to her “confer some educational benefit,” and this has consistently been the standard since that decision. The 10th Circuit which heard Endrew below applied a… Read More »

LDA has been asked by the Cognitive Task Force (COGA) of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to respond to its request for comments on the accessibility of digital content by individuals with learning disabilities. (This includes how someone with a learning disability accesses information or may take a test via a computer.) You are encouraged to share this request with other individuals (including parents, students, educators, and adults with learning disabilities) or groups who have insights into the needs of people with cognitive and learning disabilities. Comments may be submitted by individuals or groups. Please see below for details.… Read More »

LDA 55th Annual International Conference Jennifer Harkins, Program Co-Chair Loreena Parks, Program Co-Chair Learning Disabilities Association of America is seeking submissions for the 2018 Conference to be held in Atlanta, Georgia on February 21-24, 2018. Anyone wishing to present a poster, facilitate a table talk or present a formal lecture style presentation is invited to submit a proposal. LDA values sessions that present current and best practices, including basic information about the nature of learning disabilities as well as innovative approaches to advocacy, assessment, intervention, and instruction. Also sought are sessions that present new ways to ensure successful transition, utilize… Read More »

Contact your Congressional Representatives, State Legislators, and Governors NOW! Members and Friends of LDA, The House of Representatives is expected to introduce a bill to cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on February 27 and immediately to begin work on the bill in the House committee. The result would be two major blows to individuals with disabilities. Reach out to your federal and state legislators and the Governor’s office in your state and tell them that repealing the ACA and replacing it with a plan that CUTS Medicaid is unacceptable. People’s health, services, and lives are at stake! … Read More »

MEDIA CONTACT: Mary-Clare Reynolds, LDA Executive Director mcreynolds@ldaamerica.org, 412.341.1515, ext. 206 David Allsopp, PhD, Named Learning Disabilities Association of America Educator of the Year/h3> Learning Disabilities Conference in Baltimore, Feb. 16-19 Pittsburgh, PA (February 13, 2017) – David H. Allsopp, PhD, will be presented the Sam Kirk Educator of the Year Award during the 54th Annual Learning Disabilities of America (LDA) Conference, Feb. 16-19, in Baltimore, MD. He is professor of special education at the University of South Florida, where he serves as coordinator of the doctoral program in special education at the university’s College of Education. Dr. Allsopp will be the… Read More »

MEDIA CONTACTS: Marcia Griffith- Pauyo with NCLD: (646) 616-1210, mg@ncld.org Myrna Mandlawitz with LDA: (202) 686-1637, mrmassociates@verizon.net National Center for Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities Association of America Call on DeVos to Divest in ADHD Company, Citing Harmful Conflict of Interest Washington, DC (January 30, 2017) – The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) and the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) are calling on U.S. Secretary of Education nominee, Betsy DeVos, to immediately withdraw her significant financial holdings in Neurocore to avoid a conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety. Neurocore is a company that claims – without any rigorous research… Read More »

DeVos Nomination Slows, Still on Track The Committee confirmation vote on Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos is now scheduled for January 31. While critics of her nomination continue to fight, a week’s delay beyond the original date for a vote should not necessarily be interpreted to mean her confirmation is in jeopardy. In fact the delay was most likely provided to allow Committee members to review extensive financial disclosures released since the public hearing on DeVos’s nomination earlier this month. In response to a request for a second hearing for DeVos from Democratic members of the Senate Health, Education,… Read More »

One in five children struggle with learning disabilities (LD) and attention issues. The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), founded in 1963, is uniquely qualified to assist individuals with LD and their support systems in finding solutions to maximize potential across the lifespan. LDA’s 54th Annual International Conference on February 16-19 at the Baltimore (MD) Marriott Waterfront is a comprehensive resource for parents, educators, adults with LD, and professionals. Read more…

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